System of plates of reinforced concrete for improving and solidifying railroad-tracks.



G. V. LIEBBAUX. SYSTEM or PLATES 0F REINFORCED CONCRETE FOR IMPROVING AND SOLIDIPYING RAILROAD TRACKS.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 23, 1912.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Castdn Victor Libeaux.

Inventor Witnesses:

Attorneys COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO.,WASH1NGTON, D. c,

llhllTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GASTON VICTOR LIEBEAUX, CUE NANTES, FRANCE.

SYSTEM 8F PLA'IES OF REINFORCED CONCRETE FOR IMPROVING AND SOLIDIFYING RAILROAD-TRACKS.

Application filed August 23, 1912.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1914.

Serial No. 716,742.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GASTON VICTOR L115- BEAUX, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing at No. 34 Rue de Strasbourg, in the city of Nantes, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Systems of Plates of Reinforced Concrete for Improving and solidifying Railroadlracks and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The requirements of tratlic in recent times have greatly increased the burden imposed by railway rolling-stock on the subsoil and road-beds of railway tracks, correspondingly increasing the risk of depressing and displacing the rails, involving inconveniences, injuries and dangers which are too obvious and notorious to need detailed mention. As a result, it becomes highly desirable to strengthen artificially the foundations of the road-bed, permitting the track to be laid on any soil.

To effect this with the utmost reliability and efficiency is the object of the present invention. To this end foundation plates of reinforced cement or equivalent material, of approximately the dimensions and form hereinafter stated are placed under the cross ties and rails as hereinafter set forth.

The invention consists in them as defined, also in certain details of construction, combination and arrangement hereinafter more particularly set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a part (not including a rail-joint) of a 'ailway track embodying my invention, the same being taken between the rails and of course transversely through the cross-ties; Fig. 2, a plan View of the same; and Fig. 3 represents a view similar to Fi g. 1 of another part of the track including a rail-j oint.

A. designates the rails, t the cross-ties, S the earth-bed, b the old ballast between the rails and said bed, and B the new ballast, naturally of larger fragments or particles immediately under the individual ties, e):- cept at the rail-joints, where, as shown in Fig. 3, there are two cross-ties near each joint A. and the new ballast B is of greater width and mass, being under both of them and the intervening oint. Drains cl, as indicated. by dotted lines, Fig. 2, may be ar ranged at convenient distances along the track leading to any convenient line of discharge conveniently indicated by 1.

Under each cross-tie, except at the joints and under both of the cross-ties near such joints, there is arranged a foundation plate 79 of armored cement resting on a thin bed of fine slag, old ballast or other connninuted material, which has been well packed either manually or by mechanism. Each of these plates is a rectangular quadrilateral in form, having a width not far from two thirds of its length, the latter being arranged normally as shown lengthwise of the track; but it is sometimes arranged transversely of the same under the joints. In other instances, as shown in F 3, the plate 29 under a joint is enlarged, though keeping the same form; the choice depending on the interval between the two crossties near the joint. These plates 2) are of course variable to some extent in length, width or both. They usually have a length corresponding to the space between the cross-ties, which will. often be ninety centimeters. With this latter length, the width may be from fifty to seventy centimeters according to the character of the subsoil. If the latter be loose and especially liable to displacement at greater area of plate 7) is desirable than if it be firm. The new ballast B, resting on each plate 79, constitutes a raised mass or ridge of larger material than the old ballast b, on each side of it, the inclined sides of said ridge converging upward to the truncated top which supports the cross-tie If. At the joint (Fig. 3) the ridge B is broader, its top supporting both the proximate cross-ties. Said ridge in either case extends only as far inward as the corresponding border of the plate p, the middle of the track being left without any strengthening of the bed below it, as the weight come mainly on those parts of the bed which are under the rails. The plates 79 are preferably in contact with each other under each rail, or nearly so, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. Each plate 7) has a central fiat part 7) on top, from which inclined parts 29 extend in opposite longitudinal directions to shed water. It also has a sei'es of down ward flaring holes or passages 02, permitting fine material o be driven down by a suitable tool into the road-bed for strengthening the same, an advantageous provision when dealing with very unreliable soils; but not indispensable, nor even needed in most instances. These holes are preferably of truncated pyramidal form, as indicated in Fig. 2 considered with Fig. 1, and may be extended through layer 0, as shown, but this is unimportant.

It has not been deemed necessary to show the metallic reinforcing devices of the cement, as divers kinds of reinforced cement are well known and any of these would answer, they often having bars, rods or other metallic parts embedded and hidden in the cement, so that, as in our drawings, they would not show. Since the block B of ellicient new ballast, which transmits to the sleeper the weights supported by the crossties, cushioning said weights and which consequently should always be of good quality, rests altogether on the plates of reinforced cement, it is evident that the volume of good ballast may be reduced to the blocks or masses B, all the remainder Z) of the ballast being only filling. The inclination of the planes p of the upper surface of the cement plate is equal and sufficient to direct the water both ways far enough from the crossties and the ballast B to insure its escape laterally to drains (Z.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with two rails of a track, making a joint, and two cross-ties supporting the ends of said rails near said joint, a plate and intervening ballast, arranged to support said ties and rail-ends, the said plate consisting of reinforced concrete extending beyond said cross-ties in both directions and having a rectangular outline, also a top composed of a flat middle part and additional parts inclining downward and outward therefrom in different directions.

2. In combination with a rail and crosstie, a reinforced cement plate arranged below the same with intervening ballast and a thin layer of packed slag under said plate, the latter being of quadrilateral form with a top which consists of a flat middle part and additional parts inclining downward therefrom.

3. In combination with a rail and crosstie, a reinforced cement plate arranged below the same with intervening ballast and a thin layer of packed slag under said plate, the latter being of quadrilateral form with a top which consists of a flat middle part and additional parts inclining downward therefrom, said plate being furthermore provided with holes in the form of a truncated pyramid, through which material may be rammed as set forth.

4. In combination with the rails and crossties of a railway, series of plates of reinforced cement arranged end to end under the said rails and the ends of the cross-ties with intervening ballast, each of the said plates being rectangular in form and having a top provided with a flat middle part and additional parts sloping in reverse longitudinal directions to shed water substantially as set forth.

5. In combination with the rails, cross-ties and ballast of a railroad, two longitudinal series of plates arranged under the said rails and mounds of new ballast under the ends of said ties, each of said mounds being based on one of said plates and sloping upward to a cross-tie.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses.

GASTON VICTOR LIEBEAUX.

Witnesses:

CH. DE LAGRANGE, R. J. THoMrsoN,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

